


Only If You Want Me

by BTSAndAnime52106



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14154159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BTSAndAnime52106/pseuds/BTSAndAnime52106
Summary: Hola, Hello, Bonjour, whatever language you speak(no offense),this is my first story and I am a REALLY CRINGY PERSON. And if you have accidently stumbled upon this, read it anyway. Anyway let's get on with the story.





	1. The Journey Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hola, Hello, Bonjour, whatever language you speak(no offense),this is my first story and I am a REALLY CRINGY PERSON. And if you have accidently stumbled upon this, read it anyway. Anyway let's get on with the story.

I remember that day perfectly. Forever embedded in my memory. I remember all the pain I felt, all the sadness I felt, all the joy. I remember it all. And the best moment of it all, was when I met him.

*Flashback*

"I'm alone again," I thought as I pushed past the trees and vines. "That asshole," I said as I got to the empty clearing. "What asshole?" I turned around and threw a kunai almost hitting the redhead right in his neck. "Oh," I muttered,"I thought you were someone else." "How do you mix up two people and you haven't met one of them?" I rolled my eyes. "This guy clearly uses sarcasm a lot," I thought as I jumped to stand on the branch next to him. 

"So who are you," he asked as I tied up my hair. "Aiko Sato, I replied, "And you are?" "I'm surprised you don't know. The tattoo and gourd usually give me away." Again with the sarcasm. "I'm not in the mood. I've told you my name now tell me yours." I'm a really impatient person so he'd better answer quickly. "Gaara." "Last name," I asked getting pissed off, "What's your last name?" "Of the Sand," he replied smirking at his little joke. "Well, Gaara Of the Sand, if you're a part of the sand village why are you in the leaf village?" The silence lasted for a few minutes.

"Well. Are you gonna tell me." More silence. "I'm...," was all he replied. "Avoiding... someone... again." After that I couldn't contain myself. I laughed so hard I fell off the branch and landed in the mud, but that didn't stop me from laughing. "I don't see what's so funny," he muttered, "I'm serious." "I don't know who is so annoying that you have to avoid them multiple times," I said in between laughs. 

"You are a strange person," he said laughing. He was not prepared for what came next. The slap on the face was so hard the forest got quiet. It made me laugh more over the fact that he looked so confused. "What was that for," he asked. "Calling me strange," I replied, " I'm not strange just different." "But you didn't have to slap me," he said a little annoyed. "That's just my way of saying I like you."

"Well I have to go now," he said. "Aww your leaving already," I whined. "Yep. I have to go meet up with the person I was avoiding." I looked at him confused by what he said. He understood why I looked at him immediately. "The person I was avoiding was my sister, Temari." A huge smile stretched across my face. "I know her that's Shikamaru's girlfriend," I said, regretting it almost instantly. The look on Gaara's face told me something was wrong. "What," he asked. I didn't know how to respond. After about twenty seconds he began to calm down.

"When you say Shikamaru," he asked slowly, "You mean Shikamaru Nara?" I rolled my eyes. "No shit, who else." It got really quiet. "Is there a problem," I asked after a few minutes of silence. "I'm sorry," he said slowly, "I just wasn't aware of any of this. I don't really do relationships." I started to giggle at the way he spoke. "Aww," I teased, "I honestly thought you would make a great boyfriend." I laughed hysterically. When he looked at me I knew he thought I was crazy. "Are you ok," he asked. "Yeah, I replied trying to calm down, "I have had a lot of sugar today." He looked at me like there was something important he wanted to ask me. And then he did the cutest thing ever. He smiled.

I couldn't control myself anymore. I lunged at him and gave him the biggest hug ever. He had so much fear in his eyes I thought he was gonna shit himself. He pushed me off and looked so shocked. He then looked at me and yelled, "What the hell!" I looked at him and started laughing again. "It's just a hug relax," I said smiling. "That is not funny Aiko." When he said my name I thought I was gonna pass out. The way he said it made me feel different. Different than I've ever felt before. It took me a second to recollect my thoughts and one I could think straight I started laughing again. He looked really pissed.

"What is it this time," he asked. "Your butt," I replied trying to hold in my laughs. He turned around slowly and saw exactly what I saw. Mud was everywhere. I started laughing like crazy. He glared at me. And then he started laughing too. All of a sudden someone came running through the forest like a bat out of hell. Gaara and I both stopped laughing and looked up to see who it was. We were surprised to see Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Temari, and Kankuro staring at us.

"What was that," Naruto said very in a very loud voice. "It sounded like animals fighting," Sasuke said. "Oh shut up duck-butt," I replied. "Oh look," Kankuro said in a baby voice, "Gaara's got himself a girlfriend." Gaara looked like he was about to kill him. "Speaking of girlfriends," Gaara started. "Oh boy," I muttered. "Why didn't you tell me you were dating someone Temari," he finished with a perplexed look on his face.

It was quiet for a few minutes. Temari hit Naruto on the head all of a sudden. "I told you not to tell him," she screamed. "I didn't," he muttered. "Than who did," she asked. "Me," I said proudly. "You promised you wouldn't tell," she said angrily. "First of all, I didn't even know what he looked like until today," I said. "Second of all," I continued, "You promised you would tell him last week." That really made her angry. She lunged for my throat and there was sand blocking her path almost instantly.

Everyone was surprised by what just happened. Gaara rolled his eyes. "Stop Temari," Gaara said in a cold voice, "Can you at like an adult for once in your life." She glared at him and rolled her eyes. "I do act like an adult," she muttered. "Then stop pouting and let's go already," he said. "Fine. Sorry Aiko," she said before they disappeared in a cloud of sand.

No one knew what to do. Everyone sat there looking dumbfounded. "What," I asked. No one said anything. "Can you all stop staring at me and tell me what's wrong," I said getting angry. "Gaara's never stuck up for anyone," Sakura said, "He usually kills them or let's Kankuro or Temari do it." I was still confused. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Do you even know what that means," he said. "Clearly not because I don't understand what's going on," I said louder. "It means your special," Naruto said. Everyone turned around to glare at him. "You know that's not what I meant," he muttered.

"Can we please just go and eat," I said, "That is why we were supposed to meet here right." Naruto got excited. "Yes," he screamed. Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "Let's just go," Sasuke muttered. We all went to my favorite restaurant and ate and talked for hours. Although I couldn't really focus because I was thinking of Gaara the whole time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we are gonna see Aiko's parents. What could possibly go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! So since this is a work in progress and I'm still coming up with ideas for more chapters, I am going to post one or two chapters every Friday. And that doesn't mean I'm gonna post exactly two chapters every Friday. It all depends on how creative I can get in 7 days. But I can promise that there will be at least ONE chapter a week.

The walk home was a long one. It was hard to see where I was going when Gaara was on my mind. By the time I got home it was 10:00. I knew I was in trouble when I saw that the lights were on. When I walked in the door I wasn't surprised to see my mom, dad, and little sister waiting near the door. When she saw me, my little sister ran up and hugged me for quite a while.

"Hey Airi. Why are you up so late," I asked her. "I was worried about you and waited for you to come home," she said with a sad look on her face. I couldn't help but feel guilty for staying out for so long. "Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed Airi. I'll come tuck you in after ok.," I said trying not to cry. "Ok," she said smiling. She ran upstairs quickly. She loved the song I sang to her when I tuck her in.

When I turned back around my mom walked up and slapped me like I insulted her mother. "Why would you do something like this," she yelled. "Quiet Hikari," my father said in a soothing tone, "I don't want Airi to hear this." It took all the power in my body not to hit her back. "And for what, so you can be killed like Hiroaki," she said obviously trying to make me cry. "Don't bring him into this," I screamed back, "You know it was your fault so don't try and blame this on me!" Tears were streaming down my face. "If you had just stayed here instead of hanging out with that beast Naruto he would be alive," she said knowing exactly how to hurt my feelings.

I ran upstairs and went in my room and locked the door. I started crying, holding the picture of my dead brother. I carried it everywhere. No matter where I went. There was a knock on my bedroom door. "Aiko," a soft voice said, "Are you still gonna tuck me in?" "Yes Airi," I said making it sound like I wasn't crying, "I'll be right there. Just get dressed and call me when you're ready." I could hear her walking to her room trying not to let mom hear.

After getting myself together, I heard Airi call my name. I stopped outside her door before putting a smile on my face and walking in and closing the door behind me. "You ready," I asked her clearing my throat. "Yes," she said smiling as I tucked her in and sat down next to her. After I finished the song that my brother sang to me every night before he died Airi asked me a question that made me stop and stare at her.

"Why did mom hit you Aiko?" It took me a minute to answer her question. "Because," I started, "She thinks it's my fault." I said holding back my tears. "What is your fault," she asked me with a confused look on her face. "Before you were born," I said looking away, "We had a brother." She still looked confused, even when she asked me another question. "What do you mean had?" I looked at her, preparing to tell her the story I told many times. 

"When I was your age, I had a brother my age now," I started, "Fifteen that is." A tear slid down my cheek as she jumped up, sat on my lap and hugged me. "Mom had sent him to pick me up from Naruto's house and he was...killed" She looked up at me and I could see the fear in her eyes. "You know Itachi Uchiha," I asked. All she could do was nod. "He attacked us. Hiroaki yelled at me to run. I made it home and the next day, the Hokage came to the door saying they found his body," I said starting to sniffle. "How did you escape," Airi asked me. I didn't answer for a while. "You're too young," was all I could say before tucking her back into bed and kissing her forehead. 

"I'll be taking you to and from school tomorrow ok," I said to her wiping the tears from my eyes. "Ok, goodnight Aiko," she said before I closed the door.I turned around to see my parents looking at me. "Why did you tell her that," my dad asked about to cry. "Because she deserves to know," I replied back glaring at them both. "She's too young to know that," my mother said raising her voice, "She's only 8." I looked at her with rage in my eyes. "That was how old I was when I watched my brother die. So why can't she know she had a brother," I asked getting upset. "We want to keep her out of this," my dad said. "Out of what," I screamed, "You promised you would tell me." They both looked at me. "We will tell you tomorrow Aiko," my mother said. I stomped back to my room and locked the door. I cried myself to sleep that night.

The next day my parents didn't bring it up at all. I walked Airi to school as promised and spent the day with Sakura, Hinata, and Ino. I later picked up Airi and we left the school. "What was our brothers name Aiko," she asked me as we walked through the town. "Hiroaki," I said back, "He sang the same song that I sing to you every night. He's actually where I got the song from." She smiled and hugged me. As we turned the corner she screamed. "What's wrong," I asked her quickly. "It's Itachi," she said as she started crying. I looked up to see Itachi smiling. "I remember you Aiko," he said to me, "How are you doing." I quickly picked up Airi and took a few steps back. "What do you want," I asked holding Airi tight. "To finish what I started," he said with an evil look on his face, "To kill your family." I turned around and ran down the street screaming for help while people ran away from Itachi chasing after me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of the chapter and once again in case you didn't read the top(hopefully you did), there will be another chapter on April 13. And I just might post a little early depending on how many ideas I come up with since I'm a really forgetful person. But I won't forget about you guys. I'm gonna post another one today too because I don't want to forget the idea I came up with. If anyone knows how to save them without deleting the chapter tell me how in the comments. Anyway this is getting long so see you next week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi's back to finish what he started. Can Aiko escape with Airi, or will there be more heartbreak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the second chapter today and I might do more today because so many ideas are running through my mind. I wonder if I can add about 5 today. You know what? I'm gonna get as far as I can with this today. Okay I'm done boring you to death, and sorry for leaving a cliffhanger last chapter. Just building suspense. Let's get back to the story.

I ran down the street with tears streaming down my cheeks. I could feel him catching up. Suddenly I felt someone pull my hair. As I hit the ground I remembered I had Airi in my arms. I rolled over to protect her and felt someone step on my leg. I could feel the bone snap in half. I had given up hope. All I could do was cry. "You don't have to worry about your parents Aiko," Itachi said, "I already stopped by and paid them a visit." I felt rage build up inside of me. I turned around and punched him with what power I had left in my body. That gave me enough time to grab Airi and run down the street. I didn't get far, due to my broken leg, which he stepped on.

As I lay on the ground accepting my fate, he grabbed Airi and pulled out a kunai. He didn't see Airi pull out her own. Airi took her kunai and jabbed it into his arm. He dropped her to the ground. As he was about to grab her again, there was sand blocking him from Airi and me. Airi grabbed me and helped me stand up. When I was able to stand up, I picked up Airi ready to protect her. If I had a chance I would protect her with my life. 

The sand that started out blocking Itachi was attacking him. As Gaara was attacking Itachi, Airi was using her chakra to heal me using the techniques she learned in school. It didn't do much but I was able to walk straight. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I walked up to Gaara and whispered a thank you in his ear. "No problem," he said smiling. I was glad I had someone to support me at the worst time in my life. 

After realizing he couldn't win he pulled out a kunai, threw it at Gaara, obviously trying to distract him, and disappeared into a cloud of smoke. After realizing what happened Gaara turned around to look at me. He saw I was about to fall and caught me before my head hit the ground. The last thing I remember was Airi screaming my name. Everything went black

I woke up to someone laying next to me. I turned my head to see Airi curled into my side. I sat up and tried to remember what happened. Itachi attacking us, my leg...my parents. At the thought of them I got out of bed. The movement woke up Airi. "Aiko," she screamed. She quickly got up and hugged me. Suddenly, Gaara walked in the room. "Aiko," he said with worry in his voice, "Are you ok." All I could do was shake my head. Airi started to cry. I picked her up and hugged her. "Come on Airi," I said holding back tears, "We have to go." I started to walk towards the window and stopped. I turned around and walked towards the door. Gaara wasn't surprised when I hugged him. "Thank you," I said to him. And jumped out the window.

Airi was crying as I ran through the woods with her in my arms. When we got home I stopped at the door. Airi looked at me and hugged me tighter than she ever did before. "Did he really," Airi started, "Did he really do it. Come here I mean." I looked at her and kissed her forehead. "Only one way to find out," I said. I walked in the house and called out, hoping there would be an answer. "Mom are you there," I called waiting, "Dad are you ok." There was still no answer. I slowly walked forward into the kitchen. When I saw what was there I stopped dead in my tracks.

My mom was lying dead on the floor. And my father right next to her. Their throats slit. I broke down right there. Airi in my arms. I couldn't help but cry. It was now just me and my sister. I held Airi tight. "It's gonna be ok Airi," I told her, "We're gonna go to the Hokage's office and we're gonna figure this out." We walked to the Hokage's office and told him what happened. I told him how I planned on Airi and me living with a relative. After a few minutes of silence he finally said something. "I'm sorry," he said, "But I'm afraid Itachi visited all of your family members. I'm really sorry" 

I couldn't speak. My whole world was flipped upside down. And I couldn't do anything about it. I was so lost in thought I didn't hear what the Hokage said. "Aiko," he said in a loud voice, "Would you like for Airi to live with a different family until you are 18, or would you like her to stay with you." Why would he even ask that question. "I would like her to stay with me," I said in a strained voice. I wouldn't lose Airi too. "Ok than," the Hokage said, "Before you go, your parents came to me a few years ago and told me to give you this if they were to pass away." He handed me a folded piece of paper. "Thanks," I said as I took the paper and left his office.

After we got home my mother and father weren't there. "They must have taken their bodies," I said when I walked in the kitchen. I turned around to take Airi to her room since she had fallen asleep. When I turned around I saw Gaara standing there. I jumped back and screamed. Airi woke up and started to scream. "Airi are you ok," I asked her sitting her down on the counter. "He was there he killed them both," she said crying. She must have had a nightmare. "It's ok Airi," I said trying to calm her down, "He's not here."

Gaara looked very worried. "Sorry for scaring you Aiko," he said. "It's fine," I said looking at him with a sad look on my face. "Come on Airi," I said, "Time for bed." After she showered I sang to her and tucked her in. She was sleep in minutes. I went downstairs to see Gaara standing in the kitchen. I hugged him and started to cry. He kissed my hair. "It's gonna be ok," he said trying to calm me down.

Gaara spent the night with me making sure Itachi didn't come back while I slept. I had to wake up many times that night to Airi screaming. Each time I feared the worst. Itachi had my sister. This continued for a month. And each night Gaara was with me. I decided to take Airi to see a therapist. I couldn't live knowing Airi was in pain. We technically had a routine every day. Take Airi to school, train, hang out with friends, pick up Airi, go home and relax and go to sleep. The only time that changed was on Fridays to take Airi to our therapist.

That continued for six months and Gaara was still there to support us. And soon enough Airi started to get better. She screamed less. She spoke more often. She even started hanging out with her friends again. I never let her stay out too late though. I finally understood what my parents went through when I wasn't home. Gaara was always there with me. We hung out alot and became best friends. He made me feel a lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was very sad and depressing. Next chapter might be better. Might, I'm not positive. Still trying to get the events in order.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiko and Gaara have a strange relationship. Only one of them knows their feelings for the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. The reason this came out so late is while I was writing I had my phone on my laptop with a video on. My phone fell on my laptop and deleted the chapter. It was 12:00 and I had been working on it since 8:00. But the bright side is I got to add more detail to the chapter. Still pretty upset though.

After Gaara and I picked up Airi from school we were walking home. "Aiko," Gaara started, "Did you ever read that letter that the Hokage gave you." I looked at him and shook my head. He changed the subject. "So Airi, are you excited for the upcoming exams," he asked. "I cannot wait to take the exams," she enthused, "I've always wanted to work in the hospital." I started laughing. "Airi, you do know that if you pass you don't work in the hospital immediately," she said. "I know that," she said, "I just like the idea of taking care of people. Like mom took care of me when I was sick." All I could do was smile.

"Can I ask you something Gaara," I said after Airi was in bed. "Sure," he said confused. "Why do you care," I started, "About Airi and me that is." It took him a few minutes to answer. I patiently waited for him to answer. "I don't know," he said, "I don't know why I care about your well-being." I sat there and let that sink in. It took me a minute to think about what he said. "What do you mean you don't know," I said after a few minutes of silence.

"I've never really cared about anyone before," he said. I looked up at him and didn't know how to respond to that. "What do you mean you've never cared about anyone," I asked. "My mother died giving birth to me and my father and uncle hated me for it," he replied slowly. We sat in silence for a little while, neither of us knowing what to say. "How did you mother die," I asked with curiousity. "Giving birth to me of course," he said smiling. I rolled my eyes. "You know what I meant," I said back. "Before I was born my father sealed the Shukaku inside of my body," he began, "Just like they did Kurama." I finally started to understand what happened during the war. "So that was that sand beast that fought that frog," I asked. We both started laughing.

He changed the subject after a few minutes. "Can I ask you something," he said slowly. "Sure," I said. I was worried by what he was about to ask. "So did you ever read the letter the Hokage gave you," he asked. It go really quiet for a while. After a few minutes I finally answered. "No," I said looking away, "I didn't." He looked at me with a confused look on his face. "Why not," he asked. "There's no point," I muttered, "They didn't like me anyway." Gaara just rolled his eyes. "Don't say that," he said, "They're your parents, of course they love you." I just shook my head. "They always yelled at me for no reason," I muttered, "They never loved me." Gaara just held me tighter. "Can you please just read it," he said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the letter out of my drawer. The letter read:

Dear Aiko, If you're reading this than that means the Akatsuki has killed us all. If you and Airi manage to escape, the Hokage will have Shinobi to watch over you. We want you to take care of Airi. For you, for us, and for Hiroaki. We love you both. Love, Mom and Dad.

I read the letter over and over again. I couldn't stop crying. Gaara held me tight and even went to check on Airi when she started screaming. I cried myself to sleep with Gaara's arms around me.

I woke up the next morning and Gaara was gone. There was a note on my bedside table saying he was needed in Suna and he would be back in a few hours. It made me sad that the one person that went out of their way to take care of me and my sister was gone. Even if it was for only about 4 hours. It was Saturday and I had no plans. So Airi and I decided to go on a girls day with Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Temari. After spending a few hours shopping for dresses, we went to get something to eat. After lunch me and Airi went home to hang out. 

A few hours later as I got up to make dinner I grabbed my mother's cookbook and got to work. After 6 months I still don't know how much water to add to the rice. Mom would be disappointed in me. I would too. I started to smile at the thought of my mom being here to watch me cook. As I turned around to get the rice out of the cupboard I saw Gaara standing behind me. I jumped back and ended up sitting on the counter. "Sorry," Gaara apoligized, "Didn't mean to scare you." He stepped forward and gave me a hug. "It's fine," I responded, "We spent the day with Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Temari." Gaara smiled. That was when we both realized that his hands were around my waist and his waist was between my legs. He backed up and apoligized. "It's fine," I muttered. Gaara then started to help me finish dinner. We didn't bring that up until later.

After Airi was asleep and I was ready for bed, Gaara brought it up again. "Aiko," he said slowly. "Yes Gaara," I said tying my hair up. "About earlier, when we were in the kitchen," he paused. "Let's just forget about it," I said quickly. "Ok than," he said. I could see the look on his face. He wanted to talk about it. I could tell. "Is there something you want to talk about Gaara," I asked. I was worried about what he would say. He didn't say anything. "Gaara are you ok," I asked. "Yes, I'm fine," he said quickly. "Are you sure," I asked again. "Yes, I'm sure," he said. "Ok than," I said. I got into bed and curled up on his lap. "Goodnight Gaara," I said. "Goodnight Aiko," he said quietly. I thought I heard a quiet "I love you," but I fell asleep before I could question it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of the chapter and I am really tired so I will be spending most of tomorrow writing. Let's just pray things are better tomorrow than they were today. Goodnight or morning, I don't know when y'all be on here or what time zone you're in but I'm going to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airi's birthday is coming up and she is trying to adjust to her parents not being there. Meanwhile Gaara's feelings are becoming stronger for Aiko. Let's see how far this goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. So this chapter came out later than I thought. I was up late last night so I slept really long. But anyway back to the relationship at hand. Comment your ship names and we will see which one sounds the best. Let's get into the story.

I woke up the next morning to see Gaara and Airi downstairs making breakfast and dancing to music. They finally realized I was there when I started laughing at Airi's hair. "Good morning sleepyhead," Gaara said to me. Airi hugged me and started to smile when I pulled a strip of bacon out of her hair. Gaara started to smile and looked away. I knew he had something to do with that. I walked up to him and cracked an egg in his hair. Airi started to laugh with me. Gaara was glaring at us both and then started laughing after throwing water on me. I couldn't help but laugh even more when Airi threw an egg on Gaara's shirt. After we ate and got cleaned up we went outside to play in the woods. 

"So Airi, are you excited for your birthday," I asked her. Gaara looked up and smiled. "You didn't tell me you were having a birthday soon," Gaara said excitedly. "I don't really want a birthday," Airi said quietly. Gaara and I both stopped walking to look at her. "Why not," I asked getting down on my knees so I was her height. "Mommy and daddy aren't gonna be there," she said sadly. I picked her up and hugged her before setting her down. "Just because they won't be there doesn't mean you shouldn't have a party," I said softly. Gaara looked at her and seemed confused. I didn't ask him about it until we were alone.

"Gaara," I said quietly. I still didn't know what to say. "Yes Aiko," he said as I crawled into his lap. "When Airi said she didn't want a birthday party," I said trying not to sound pushy, "Why did you look at her like that. I've seen you make that face so many times." I looked up to see him looking away from me. After a minute of thinking he turned around and answered my question. "I've never seen anyone that would go that far for another person," he said quickly, "You put your life on the line for her. Like you don't care about yourself at all." It took me a minute to answer. "I don't care about myself. It's my fault anyway," I said quickly not caring about the surprised look on Gaara's face, "My brother died because I was so careless. All I ever did was worry about myself not even worrying ab-."

I was cut off by Gaara grabbing my chin and turning my head around to kiss me. I sat there unable to move and waited for him to finish. When he let go of my chin he didn't speak for a few minutes. "I should go," he said getting up. "Wait," I said quickly, "Don't go!" I spun him around and he stood there shocked for a few seconds. After a minute of staring into each others eyes, I kissed him and held him there for a few minutes. I let him go when Airi started screaming. After calming her down, we went back into the room and sat down on the bed next to each other. I looked up after a few minutes to see him staring down at me. We stared into each others eyes for what seemed like forever. He kissed me again and pulled me onto his lap so my legs were wrapped around his waist. When we broke for air, we were both panting. He then kissed me until I fell asleep sitting on his lap.

I woke up laying on Gaara's chest. I rolled off of his chest and stood up and stretched. I suddenly felt his arms around me. He started to kiss my neck when we could hear Airi running down the hall. He let go of me and backed away from me before she came through the door. When she came in the door her eyes were wide. "Aiko get dressed," she screamed, "Temari is downstairs with Kankuro." I wasn't surprised. Their brother spends almost all of his time away from home. After I got dressed I went downstairs and saw Temari talking to Airi and Kankuro talking to Gaara. "Hey Temari and Kankuro," I said smiling, "What are you guys doing here." Gaara looked bored out of his skull just standing there waiting for them to leave.

"I was forced to come here," Kankuro said rolling his eyes. Temari slapped the back of his head. "Kankuro," she yelled at him getting really upset, "We're here to wish Airi a happy early birthday." She then picked up something that was behind her. When she turned around again she handed Airi a pet cage with a small cat in it. Airi opened the cage and hugged the cat. "Thank you so much Temari," she said hugging her and running upstairs to play with the cat. I turned back around and thanked them for the cat. "No problem Aiko," she said smiling, "When is Airi having her birthday party?" I looked at her and stopped smiling. "I'm not sure," I muttered. She looked confused. "What do you mean your not sure," she asked. It got really quiet.

"Airi said she doesn't want to have a birthday party," I said slowly. "Why not," Kankuro asked, "She's turning 9. Every child would want a party." I didn't say anything. "She said she doesn't want a party if her parents weren't gonna be there," Gaara said after a few minutes of silence. No one said anything for a while. "I think we should go," Temari said suddenly. "Don't leave yet," Airi said running down the stairs. "Would you like to go with us," Temari asked. "Yes," Airi screamed, "Can I go Aiko. Please!" I looked at her and smiled. "Of course you can," I said smiling. As they left Temari walked back in and whispered, "Plan a surprise party." And with that she left.

When they were gone I closed the door and turned around. Gaara wasn't standing there. I called out his name. "Gaara?" I went around the house trying to find him. He wasn't anywhere. When I finally searched my room I was surprised to be pushed against the wall when I walked in. Gaara closed the door behind him and kissed my neck. I ran my hands up and down his chest. When he rubbed his hand on my thigh I grabbed his hand. He continued to kiss me. "Gaara," I whispered. "Yes Aiko," he muttered. "Stop Gaara,"I whispered trying to catch my breath. He picked me up and sat down on the bed sitting me on top of him. He still kissed my neck as I fought to catch my breath. When he stopped kissing me I ignored the urge to kiss him again. "Are you ok Aiko," he asked. I nodded my head. "Go for a walk with me," he whispered in my ear. We stood up and left my home and walked into forest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara confesses his feelings for Aiko. Can they love each other without complications?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello humans who continue to read this story. This may be the last one today because I'm not sure if I can use my laptop or phone to be honest. There have been problems involving a broken ps4 and hurt self-esteem. Moving on. This chapter is both happy and sad. Let's get into the story.

We walked into the forest hand in hand. Neither one of us said a word as we walked deeper into the forest. When he stopped walking I turned to look at him. He didn't say a word. He just looked into my eyes. He started pacing back and forth. I just stood there and watched him. After a few minutes I decided to say something.

"Gaara," I said breaking him from his trance, "What is it you wanted to talk about." He walked up to me and smiled. "I thought I would have more time to think about this," he whispered in my ear, "But time has run out." I held my breath, surprised by what he did next. He took both of my hands and his and got down on one knee. I was shocked and didn't know what to say. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Aiko Sato," he began, "I love you more than anything in the world. And I always will." I started crying. "You are my everything," he continued, "Will you be my girlfriend?" All I could do was nod my head. He stood up and kissed me. I kissed him back urgently. When he let go of me I didn't know why. But when he fell to the ground everything made sense. There was a kunai sticking out of his back. When I looked up Itachi was standing there with no emotion at all. He slowly walked towards me until I was up against a tree and his face was inches away from mine. "You can't escape me Aiko," he said before disappearing. 

When he was gone I ran to Gaara's body and got down on my knees. I quickly pulled the kunai out of his back and pushed down on his wound. The bleeding started to slow. I put his arm around my neck and carried him into the village. I took him to the hospital and left only once to go home and get Airi. I quickly explained what happened to Temari and Kankuro as they ran along side me back to the hospital. When we got to the hospital they said he was in critical condition and we were not allowed to see him. After hours of waiting Airi fell asleep. Temari and Kankuro took her home and told me they would take care of her. Thirty minutes later the doctor said I could go to see Gaara. 

When I got to his room he was sound asleep. I sat down in the chair next to him and cried. So many emotions flooded my mind. I was sad that he was hurt. I was happy that he was at least alive. But I was mostly angry. Shinobi were supposed to be watching over us. How did they not know he was there? I soon began to feel tired. I curled up into a ball and fell asleep in the chair.

When I woke up I saw the worst thing imaginable. Itachi was standing over Gaara. I stood up and threw a kunai at his chest. He caught it before it could hit him. He looked up and smiled. Before I could move he grabbed my neck and pushed me against the wall. I grabbed his hand hoping he would let go if I pressed down hard enough. That only made him squeeze my throat. The room went dark. I let go of his hand and closed my eyes. Suddenly, Itachi's hand was gone. I couldn't hear or see anything. When I opened my eyes Gaara was there shaking my arm. He helped me sit up and was trying to say something that I couldn't hear. The only thing I could hear was a loud ringing. It started to fade away after a few minutes. I could hear him asking me desperately if I was ok. My vision became blurry and everything went black.

The next time I woke up I was in my bed. Airi was laying next to me. I stood up and fell back down. I felt dizzy and couldn't think straight. I tried to call out to someone but couldn't find my voice. I sat up and took a deep breath. I got out of bed and opened the door. When I looked out into the hallway no one was there. I went down the stairs and saw Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro talking in the living room. When they saw me they stopped talking. Temari hugged me and asked me if I was ok. My voice was raspy and it hurt when I told her I was fine. She could tell I was hurting. She gave me a glass of water and sat me down in one of the chairs. I could tell they were worried about me. They refused to take their eyes off of me for more than a second.

They were debating whether or not they should take me to see a doctor when Airi came running down the stairs. When she saw me she jumped on my lap and hugged me. "Are you ok," she cried. I nodded my head. "She can't talk Airi," Temari said, "She'll be ok though." The look on her face told me she wasn't one hundred percent positive. "Why don't we go to the park while Aiko gets her voice back," Kankuro said trying to calm Airi down. She nodded her head. Airi hugged me tight before getting up and leaving with Temari and Kankuro.

I looked at Gaara to see him lost in thought. I walked over to him and hugged him. He hugged me back and kissed my forehead. "Would you like to go to the hospital," he asked after a few minutes. I shook my head. "Well than," he said smiling, "We'd better get to work." We spent hours working on complete sentences. It was hard to focus with him making me say funny things. By the time the others were back it didn't hurt as much to speak.

A few hours later Temari and Kankuro went home. After putting Airi to sleep I got into bed and laid next to Gaara. "How are you holding up," he asked me. I just shrugged my shoulders. He kissed my forehead and held me tight. Tears started to fall down my face. "Everything is going to be ok Aiko," he said calming me down, "I'm here for you." He wiped the tears from my face and kissed my hair.

A week later I was able to speak with ease. The only permanent effect was that my voice was a bit higher than usual. Lady Tsunade had Shinobi all throughout the village after the incident with Itachi. Shinobi of all villages were on the lookout for Itachi. The only problem I had left was figuring out what to do for Airi's birthday party.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airi's birthday is here and it's time to PARTY!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is coming out really late because I have not been at home for quite a while. Anyway lets get back into the story.

I was stressed. I had 3 days to plan Airi's party and we still didn't have any decorations or a cake. All of my friends were helping me figure it out every single thing Airi likes and all we could actually turn into a party was princesses. We were almost there though. I had sent Temari to order a princess cake and Kankuro to try and find decorations. Leaving Gaara and I alone. We were getting the invitations together when Gaara broke the silence.

"How old is Airi turning," he asked turning red. "You forgot AGAIN, Gaara," I said raising my voice a little. "She's turning 9," I muttered. It got really quiet. After a few minutes I put the last invitation into the envelope. "All done," I said smiling. Gaara put them all in a pile and stood up. "Would you like to do something while we wait for them to return," Gaara asked in a strange tone. "Only if you want to," I said lightening the mood. All he did was smile.

We spent hours on the town. We stopped at food stands, hung out with friends, and finally stopped for lunch. After our "date"(As Temari called it when we went to the bathroom) we went to pick up Airi. When we got home the 3 of us spent hours playing and joking around. After dinner, Airi went to sleep and I cuddled up next to Gaara. He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arms around me.

"You know I love you, right," he whispered seductively in my ear. "Yes," I whispered holding my breath. "You know I would do anything for you," he continued. All I could do was nod my head. "That's all I need to know," he said kissing my neck. I moaned when he rubbed his hand against my waist. I turned my head so I could kiss him back. I fell asleep kissing him.

The next day we were all excited. Airi was excited the most. I don't know what Temari said to get her back in the birthday mood, but i didn't ask. I didn't want to risk crying in front of Airi. I didn't want her to know how bad I was hurting. I want her to feel safe, not worried. I just wish it was a bit easier to keep myself in check. After picking up Airi she was practically bouncing from excitement.

"What kind of party am I having," she asked full of excitement. "Not telling you," I said back, "You'll have to wait until tomorrow." She started pouting. "Can you please give me a hint," she begged. I smiled at her. "All you have to do is wait Airi," I said while laughing, "It's a SURPRISE PARTY." She looked at me with an evil grin. "But it's not a surprise party if I know I'm having one," she said grinning. "You know what kind of surprise party i mean," I said rolling my eyes. 

When we got home Temari and Kankuro were waiting at the door. "What took you guys so long," Kankuro asked in an annoyed tone. I rolled my eyes. "You do know Airi is still an Academy Student," I asked, "So she's not able to keep up with us." Temari hit the back of Kankuro's head. "Let's just get inside," Kankuro muttered. After we got inside Airi took Temari's hand and they ran upstairs. Kankuro just wandered off. As Gaara and I got dinner started, Airi came downstairs asking to borrow my make-up. "Sure Airi,"I said a little confused, "Just don't use it all." Airi left with a thanks and ran upstairs at full speed.

"I have no idea what that was about," Gaara muttered, "But I really don't want to know." I just giggled. "No one ever knows what Airi is capable of," I muttered. When Airi was asleep and Temari and Kankuro went home, Gaara and I were the only ones awake. "You know I love you right," he asked for the second time in a row. I turned around to look at him. "Why do you keep asking that Gaara," I asked slightly annoyed. He didn't say anything for a while. "I have to go back to Suna for a little bit," he said slowly. I was confused as to why he thought that was a bad thing. "When are you leaving," I asked him. He looked at me and looked away. "In two days," he said quietly. At least he wouldn't miss Airi's birthday. That was a relief. 

Airi grew very attached to Gaara. If he wasn't with me when I picked her up, she'd ask questions. I then asked the most important question. To me at least. "How long will you be gone," I said hoping that it wouldn't be long. He didn't say anything for a minute. "Gaara," I said bringing his attention back to the present, "How long will you be gone?" He looked at me and replied in a sad tone, "I'm not sure." I just sat there and let that sink in. It could be years before I ever saw him again. I let the tears fall down my cheeks. "Don't cry," he murmured, "I'll be back as soon as possible." I just nodded my head. I soon fell asleep.

When I woke up Gaara was gone. As I went downstairs I could here Airi and Temari talking. I knew what Airi was asking before I even got downstairs. "Can you please tell me," Airi pleaded, "Hurry before she wakes up." Gaara laughed. "I'm positive Temari doesn't want Aiko to kill her over a birthday party," I heard Gaara say quietly. I crept down the stairs slowly. When I got to the kitchen I put my finger up to my mouth, telling them to be quiet. When I got up to Airi I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her out of the chair. 

"Trying to get information about your party," I said while laughing, "Your gonna have to try harder than that." When I set Airi down she was laughing too. "Fine," she said holding back her laughter, "I'll wait." I pushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes. "Happy Birthday," I said smiling. She smiled back. After we dropped Airi off at the academy we came back home to finish decorating. Temari and Kankuro left to pick up the cake. By the time they returned it was time to pick up Airi. The plan was to wait for everyone to arrive and then take Airi back to the party. Gaara and I decided to take her out to eat to pass the time.

We went to Airi's favorite restaurant and sat down in one of the booths. Airi was begging for hints about the party until the food came. They gave us a discount since it was Airi's birthday. "Did you tell them it was her birthday," Gaara asked. "In the leaf village, everyone knows everyone," I said laughing. When I saw what time it was I realized we had 30 minutes before the party started. "Airi where else do you want to got before the party starts," I asked. "Can we stop by the cemetery before we go home," she asked prepared to beg if it came down to it. "Sure," I said holding back tears.

When we got to the cemetery Airi ran straight to Mom and Dad's grave. Gaara and I quickly caught up to her and stood behind her. She was standing there staring, not saying a word. After a while Airi finally said something. "I miss them," she said in a strained voice. I hugged her tightly. "I do to," I whispered in her ear. After we left we went straight home. "You ready," I asked her smiling. She nodded her head, excitement in her eyes. I slowly opened the door and the 3 of us walked into the living room. It was really dark. When I flipped on the lights, Airi was surprised by what happened next...


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airi's party is lots of fun, but not everything goes as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey humans out there who for some reason like to read what I post. You all are making me feel special(for once). Anyway let's get back into the story.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone jumped out of nowhere and screamed. Airi's eyes were wide. She wasn't expecting any of what we had planned. When she finally realized what happened she looked up at me and smiled. The excitement in her eyes was enough to destroy the village. She started jumping up and down and squealing. She turned around and hugged me. "Thank you SO MUCH Aiko," she said, "This is the BEST DAY EVER!" I was feeling smug. This party was just getting started.

The party lasted for hours. Airi had a surprised look on her face about every 30 minutes. We had so many surprises for her. She was occupied the whole time. She played games, talked to her friends, and sometimes gave me a random hug. She was so excited to blow out her candles. After blowing out her candles she went to the bathroom. While she was gone we quickly set up her presents on the table. When she came back her last surprise was ready. Presents were all over the table. There were more presents than there were people at the party. And there was a lot of people at the party. 

While she opened her presents, all of her friends were crowded around her trying to see what everyone got for Airi. She had so many presents. After the party Airi and her friends had a sleepover. The girls were up all night giggling and joking around. After about 10 o'clock the girls started falling asleep. After the last girl was asleep, I got ready for bed. After I was ready for bed, I found Gaara lying on my bed looking at something across the room. 

"What are you looking at," I asked as I sat down across from him. He looked at me and smiled. "Nothing," was all he said. I was confused by what he meant. "I was just thinking," he said after a few seconds. "About what?" He took my hands in his and smiled. "Where I'm going tomorrow," he muttered still smiling. That only confused me even more. "I wasn't told where I was going," he said making it crystal clear. I sat on his lap and kissed his neck. He kissed my lips and laid me down next to him. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered in my ear. He kissed me one last time before I went to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning Gaara wasn't there. I was worried that he had left already. It surprised me that he was downstairs with Airi. "Good morning Aiko," Gaara said when I stepped into the doorway. "Why didn't you tell me Gaara was leaving," Airi accused. I raised my hands in defense. "I just found out 2 days ago," I said back. I looked to Gaara for some help and he just smiled. "You could have told her yesterday," Gaara muttered. He still had that smile on his face. "In my defense," I began hoping that an excuse would pop up, "I don't have a defense." Gaara and Airi giggled at that.

Later on in the day we all went out and had some fun. We went shopping and hung out around the village. We went out for lunch and decided to go to a pond Airi and I had found during the summer. "So do you go skinny dipping here alot, or just when your boyfriend is with you," Gaara snickered. I turned and pushed him into the pond. "Real mature Aiko," he said. I looked at him and started laughing. "I could say the same to you Gaara," I mocked. Gaara grabbed my hand and pulled me in with him. Airi and Gaara started laughing. I couldn't help but laugh with them. When we dried off we headed back into town.

"When exactly do you leave," I asked as we walked into the town. "About an hour," he replied. As we passed a few buildings, a ton of Gaara's fangirls came running towards us. When they saw Gaara they started screaming. "Why are you holding Gaara's hand," one of them asked when they saw me. I started smiling. I already knew where this was going. "Because I'm dating him," I replied. I was hoping one of them would start crying, but not everything goes as planned. "A little slut like you isn't good enough for Gaara," one of them said. That set me off. "Gaara can you take Airi away for a few minutes," I asked in an innocent voice. He didn't hesitate to take Airi away.

Once I was sure Airi was out of hearing range I turned back to the crowd of girls. "Listen here bitches," I said in a cold voice, "Gaara is mine. Anyone who disagrees will be six feet under." Another bitch thought it was a good idea to test my patience. "Just like your family," she said. Once I made my decision there was no going back. Before I knew what I was doing, her leg was broken and her arm was tied to her back using part of her shirt. The other girls looked at me in fear. The other was lying on the ground screaming. I left before someone noticed I was there. When I found Airi and Gaara they were two blocks away. They were leaning against a wall and talking.

"Hey, I'm back," I said in a cheerful tone. Gaara and Airi looked at each other and looked back at me. "What was that about," Gaara asked. I couldn't help but smile. "Oh nothing," I said trying not to laugh. We continued our walk to the gates of the village talking about the most random things. As we got to the gates Gaara stopped and looked at Airi and I. "I'll see you both soon," he said, "Try not to get into too many fights." Airi looked confused. I giggled. He smiled at us both. He then turned around and left. I held back tears as I watched the love of my life walk away for what seemed like forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara has been gone for quite a while. He's gonna be pissed when he comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. So I was supposed to upload Friday but I wasn't able to go home until late at night. I haven't been home all week so I am currently struggling to get three chapters done this weekend(It might be hard because I'm going somewhere Saturday and Sunday). Anyway lets get back to the story.

It's been 5 months and we still haven't heard anything from Gaara. Temari and Kankuro haven't heard from him either. As I lay down on my bed all I can think about is why Gaara had to leave. Where was he? Why did he go? What did he leave for? All questions I never got an answer for. All we can do is wait for him to come back. It's only been 5 months but it feels like 5 years. "I hope he's ok," I whisper as I doze off.

I woke up at around 5 am. I decided to get up and do something. It was the weekend and I had nothing better to do. I got ready for the day and did some house chores. Most boring part of my day. After Airi woke up it was about 8 am. "Can I go to my friends house today," she asked wiping the sleep from her eyes. I looked at her and nodded my head. It was so quiet without Gaara there with us. I was ashamed of myself for letting my sister and I drift apart like this. Or maybe it was just needing someone to start a conversation between me and another human being. 

After dropping off Airi I went looking for Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. "I need some girl time," I thought. It felt like I was going crazy. My mind was so crowded that I started to space out. I didn't realize where I was going until I almost hit a tree. Instead of looking for the girls, I found myself at the same place Gaara and I first met. I groaned when I remembered what was so important about this place. When I turned around I saw that I was surrounded by people in cloaks. At first I thought it was more of Gaara's fangirls. That was until I saw what was on their cloaks. It was the Akatsuki. 

I turned to run but realized they were there too. Someone suddenly grabbed me from behind and held my arms behind my back. I squirmed and tried to escape his grasp. "Let me go!" No one said anything. Itachi started to walk towards me. He was only a few inches away when he grabbed a strand of my hair and pushed it out of my face. As much as I tried I couldn't break free from what I saw. This is a dream, this is all a twisted dream. That's what I was telling myself. I almost believed it until I felt a powerful fist connect with my stomach. After that, whoever was behind me let me go.

I fell to the ground, unable to continue standing. "Is she still alive," I heard a deep voice ask. I was praying that they would just leave. No such luck. "Only one way to find out." I knew it was Itachi from the way he was speaking. A dead, cold voice. No emotion whatsoever. The last thing I felt was a foot crushing my ankle. I didn't move. Everything after that was a blur. "Let's leave before someone finds her," one of them said. "Than we better hurry because some kid is coming," another said. Then they were gone. "Aiko!" I tried to speak but couldn't find my voice. "Aiko!" The voice continued to call my name. But I wouldn't get up. Nothing would have convinced me to get up. Everything went black.

The next time I woke up I was lying in my bed. I was still alive. I smiled at the thought of that. Itachi tries so hard to kill me but he can never do it. He's tried multiple times, yet here I am. Broken and in pain. Again. I tried my hardest to remember what had happened. I went in the woods, got jumped, passed out, and somehow ended up here? How did I get here? Who brought me here? I remembered what the guy had said when they left. "Some kid is coming." What kid? Why would that kid be worried about a random person they found in the woods? And how did they know where I was? I sat up and tried to get to the door. When my hand touched the knob, the door swung open making me jump back a few feet. When I saw who it was I stopped moving completely. He was back.

When I didn't move he walked up to me and kissed me. I pushed him off of me and he tripped and hit his head on the door. "What is wrong with you!" He knew exactly what was wrong. Everything he did to me hurt me alot. And I wasn't gonna let him use saving me as an excuse to get back into my life. "Don't you ever in your life kiss me," I yelled. I was furious. Of all the people that could have saved me. Hachiro Kura. "Leave now," I screamed. I was ready to get violent if it came down to it. I was in a bad mood and he knew it. And if he knew what was good for him he'd leave. Just then I heard the front door open.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hi, how ya doing. So this chapter is super late because I have been moving for the past few weeks(very time consuming). So my life is once again a mess. I don't know when I'm gonna have the next chapter out. So just sit tight and pray that I find time in my day to write without any distractions. That's enough about me for one day. Let's get into the story.

"Aiko?" Gaara was downstairs. And if he found out another guy was up here it would not end well. I actually want to see what he does to Hachiro. It would be fun to watch. I glared at Hachiro. "Stay here," I said. He could tell I meant it from the way I looked at him. I limped downstairs as fast as I could. When I got down Gaara was in the kitchen looking for me. "Gaara?" When he saw me he went pale.

"What happened," he asked. He grabbed my hand and helped me sit down. I didn't say anything. He already knew by the look on my face."How did you escape," he asked hoping I would say something. Suddenly, Hachiro came down the stairs. "I helped her," he said obviously unaware of who Gaara is. Gaara stiffened when he saw him. "Aiko who is this," he asked. I was praying that I could explain this without Hachiro saying something dumb. And once again, no such luck. "Her boyfriend." The hate in Gaara's eyes was starting to scare me, so I quickly said something to make sure they didn't fight. "He is not my boyfriend," I said through my teeth, "He's just an old friend that obviously has a death wish."

Gaara wasn't convinced. "Come on don't be like that," Hachiro said. He never could keep his mouth shut. He was starting to piss me off more than I already was. "Ok Hachiro time for you to leave," I said pushing him out the door. He smiled at me, obviously about to say something idiotic. "I'll come by later," he said. He's gonna be dead by midnight. "Sorry," I said with a fake smile, "I've been trying to keep roaches out of the house." I slammed the door in his face. When I turned around Gaara was standing in the kitchen with an angry look on his face. This isn't gonna end well.

"Who was that," he asked keeping his temper in check. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "Just an old friend," I said casually, "I don't see why you're so upset." I could see his muscles tense. "Aiko I am being completely serious right now," he said getting angry. I glared at him and cursed myself for not pushing Hachiro out the window when I had the chance. "So am I," I replied back, "He's just my ex." The way he looked at me let me know I said something wrong. "What did you say," he asked. I knew I fucked up somewhere. "If he's your ex why is he here," he yelled. His anger completely took over. "Were you listening to a word he said," I yelled back. He got quiet and started to think. I've been in enough arguments to last a lifetime. I was definitely not gonna lose this one.

He finally started to calm down. While he was considering what to say next, I sat down in a chair to make sure that my ankle was ok. When he was done thinking he turned to me and said nothing. I could see the hurt in his eyes. I stood up out of the chair and threw my arms around him. He still didn't move. "I'm not forgiven," I thought. I let go of him and backed up a few feet. When I saw what he saw, I knew why he was so quiet. Hachiro was standing at the door, watching us both. "A girl like you is too young to have a boyfriend," he sneered. Gaara took a step forward but I grabbed his arm before he could go any farther. "What do you mean a girl like me," I asked. He just smiled and left. I thought nothing of it.

After Airi was in bed and asleep, I sat down next to Gaara and curled into his side. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. I kissed his neck and watched as he held back his moans. "You always tease me," he whispered in my ear. I kissed him again and smirked. "What if I'm done teasing," I challenged. He just smiled and pulled me closer. I continued kissing his neck and put my hand on his chest. I stopped when he let out a low moan. "Quiet," I whispered in his ear, "There's a child right down the hall." He just glared at me. I kissed him and giggled. I leaned back and stood up. "I'll be right back," I said quietly, "I left something downstairs." I left the room and slipped into the hallway.

I quickly walked past Airi's room and hurried down the stairs. It was too dark to worry about what was down there. The thought of that made me want to hurry up. I turned on the light and found what I was looking for immediately. The book I was reading earlier was sitting on the table. I quickly grabbed it and hurried up the stairs. When I got back to the room there was no one there. I stepped inside and jumped when I felt someone grab me from behind. I turned my head to see who it was. Gaara was standing there smiling with his arms wrapped around me. "What are you doing," I giggled. "Taking you up on your offer," he whispered seductively, "You said you were done teasing." I smiled and turned to face him. "You're such an idiot," I said. 

He picked me up and set me down on the bed. When he kissed me it was a feeling of need, not want. He slowly unbuttoned my shirt and pushed me down on the bed. He removed his clothes and kissed my neck. I took off the rest of my clothes as he continued to kiss me. "You're even more beautiful without your clothes," he whispered in my ear. That was the greatest night of my life.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people. So I have been up all night trying to make up for the Fridays that I missed and I am dying. It feels like my brain is being eaten by zombies. Let's move on before I pass out.

When I woke up the next morning I was confused. Gaara was laying beside me. But he was dressed. "Look who's finally awake," he said. I sat up and turned to face him. "Where did you go," I asked. He smiled when I stood up. "You were still asleep so I took Airi to school," he said.He walked towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He grinned when I pushed myself against him. I kissed him and turned to walk away. "If you'll excuse me I have to take a shower," I said as I grabbed an outfit and headed towards the bathroom.

When I got out of the shower I went downstairs and walked into the kitchen. Gaara was standing reading the book I grabbed last night. "This is an interesting book Aiko," he said while reading it, "Too bad you didn't get to read it last night." He looked up from the book and grinned. "I'm reading that book tonight though," I giggled. He came closer and put his arms around my shoulders. "Not if I have anything to do about that," he whispered. He grabbed my thighs and lifted me off the ground. "As far as I'm concerned I own you now," he whispered in my ear. I could feel him rubbing against me. I struggled to catch my breath. When he moved his hand higher up my thigh I moaned. He was about to go higher when someone knocked on the door.

"Aiko," Temari called, "The girls want to go out and your coming with us." I rolled my eyes. "Aiko I know you're in there," she yelled, "You don't have a choice." I finally gave up the act and answered the door. "Seriously Temari," I asked slightly annoyed, "How come I don't have a choice." She smiled and tilted her head to look behind me. "Because Gaara has to go to Suna for the day," she said smugly, "And you have nothing better to do so you're going with us." I turned around and glared at Gaara. He looked away quickly. "Don't act like you don't know," Temari said rolling her eyes, "You told me to take her with us." When I turned around again Gaara wasn't happy. "Snitch," he muttered. "Liar," she muttered back. "Let's just go," I said getting impatient.

After saying goodbye Temari and I headed to the village to meet the girls. "Hey Aiko," they called when they spotted us. "Hey," I said back. "They're having a festival today," Ino exclaimed. I smiled. I always had liked going to festivals. "Then let's hit the town," Sakura said. We spent the whole day eating and having fun. We gambled, went shopping, and when the night was over we went to a fortune teller. When each of us came out we were satisfied. We were allowed to share what we learned. I could tell they wanted to say what it was but they didn't. It must've been shocking. My fortune was the greatest news I could have received.

When I went inside the old woman told me to sit down. She told me to close my eyes and relaxed. I was relaxed the whole time. Except for when she finished. "You are a very young girl," the lady muttered, "But you have a heart as pure as gold." I listened carefully, wondering what she would say next. "You are very strong young woman," she said slowly, "And that is why you will marry the man of your dreams. You deserve it more than most people." I opened my eyes and saw nothing but the face of the old woman. The woman smiled but said nothing. I was the last one to go. Temari walked me back to the house and said nothing. When we got to the house she finally said something. "What the woman said," she began slowly, "It's true right." I looked at her not knowing where this was going. "I hope so," I said quickly, "I didn't pay to be lied to." We both laughed. "Seriously though," she asked. I just shrugged my shoulders.

When we went inside we headed up the stairs to my room. We sat down on my bed and started talking. "So what did the fortune teller say," I asked. I was dying to know what happened. "You have to promise you won't tell anyone," she whispered, "On Gaara's life." I leaned back. "What's so bad that I'd have to do that," I asked. "Just promise," she said. "Fine I promise," I muttered. She got up, looked into the hallway, and then locked the door. She closed all windows and then sat on the bed. She leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "The woman said I'm pregnant." My eyes were huge. I stood up and turned around to look at her. I smiled. "I am SO happy for you," I screamed. She got up and put a hand over my mouth and sat me down on the bed again.

"What's wrong," I asked, "Why can't I get excited?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm 16 and Gaara will be pissed," she said. She started crying. I comforted her for a few minutes. After a while she stopped crying. "He's probably gonna kill someone and lock me in a prison forever," she cried. Just then I had a great plan. "Not if I have anything to say about that," I said quietly. Temari looked up at me. "What do you mean," she asked. I gently squeezed her hand. "Gaara will do anything I say," I whispered, "So if I told him, if he were to get mad he'd only be hurting himself." She still looked confused. "So you're gonna hurt yourself to get back at him?" This is gonna be harder than I thought. "Trust me," I said, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. And no one has to get hurt." She nodded and I could tell she was putting alot of faith in me. I hope this works.

"Let's forget about me for a minute and worry about you," she began, "What did she tell you?" I smiled. I took her hand in mine and looked into her eyes. "How would you feel," I asked, "About me being your sister-in-law?" She stood up and did the same thing I did. I sat her down and helped her relax. She was going on about decorations when I had to stop her. "Remember Temari," I said trying to stay calm, "This could all be a big joke." We looked at each other and knew we were thinking the same thing. This better not be a joke.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello. So as you know it's been a while since I added chapters and I have some terrible news. This is not a chapter just some information you all should know.

I will not be adding chapters for about two weeks.

I have decided to take a break because of school and not being at home enough. So I will not be adding chapters until after June 13th. That is when I will be out of school and able to write more often. I'm not sure when exactly I will add another chapter, since I plan to have a few days for myself when school lets out. Plus I have not been feeling well so it may be longer. But I will be spending my summer in a quiet place where I hardly go anywhere. I have to leave now. I will try to write something to post on June 13th as an end of the school year present, and that's pretty much it. I will be posting all summer long so come back frequently. Goodbye.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara knows nothing about Temari's secret. He'll find out sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. I'm back and depressed. I just am. So I am doing what I love the most. Writing fan fictions while bitching out over nothing. Anyways let's get back into the story.

The next morning when I woke up, Temari was asleep next to me. I stood up and quietly left the room. It made me upset that Gaara wasn't back yet. When I got downstairs, Hachiro was sitting at the table reading the same book I was reading the other day. "What the fuck," I said when he turned around, "How did you get in here?" He smiled and stood up. He then pulled out a key from his pocket. "You gave it to me," he pouted, "A few weeks before you broke up with me." I rolled my eyes and put the key in my pocket. "Fuck off Hachiro," I muttered grabbing my book off of the table, "Get out of here." He grinned and walked out the door. "Psycho," I muttered.

I decided to get ready for what I had to do. I showered, got dressed, did a few chores, and straightened up the house in about an hour. Temari woke up just as I finished putting the dishes in the cupboard. She just waved when she came into the kitchen. I waved back and finished what I had to do. "So," I said nervously, "You ready for what we have to do today?" Just when I said that, she became fully aware of her surroundings. "No way," she said quickly. I giggled. "You better be," I said playfully. "Let's go over the plan one more time," she said standing up. I was excited and scared at the same time. Who knows how this was gonna go down. "You take Airi out while I tell Gaara," I whispered, "And then you come back around five when I'm positive he's not gonna murder you." We nodded and said a silent prayer that no one had to die. Just then, Airi came down the stairs fully dressed.

"Morning," she said cheerfully. Airi was in on the plan. She was the only one out of us that believed this would work. "You know what you have to do right," Temari asked. She nodded and replied, "You and me go out and no one can know your secret except for Shikamaru because you're his baby mama." Temari and I shared a quick glance. Neither of us knew where she got that from. "We didn't say all tha-," I started to say but I was cut off because someone opened the front door. Gaara came in smiling. "How are you beautiful ladies doing," he said with so much excitement, "Especially you Airi." I giggled. I'd never seen him this happy. Not even when he became the Kazekage. I still have no idea why they let him stay in a different village for so long. 

"I see you're in a good mood," I said. My plan just might work better than expected. Just then, Temari spoke up. "Airi and I are going out," she said nervously, "Don't wait up!" And with that they were gone. When I turned around Gaara was gone. I knew where this was going immediately. It was only eight in the morning for Christ's Sake! I went to my bedroom and wasn't surprised that I was pulled inside the moment I opened the door. The door closed behind me as Gaara pushed me against the wall. "I've missed you," he murmured. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "You were gone for a day," I said. He smiled and kissed me. Then he got serious. "A day without you is a day not worth living," he said sweetly. I smiled and kissed him back. "You get to spend today with me," I offered, "What do you want to do?" He smirked and grabbed my ass. I giggled and pushed him off.

We were walking outside of my house when he suddenly stopped. I turned around and stared at him as he started pacing back and forth. I've never seen him like this. Except for that day in the woods about a year ago. I was silently praying that he wasn't proposing now. My body wasn't mentally, physically, or emotionally prepared for that. He suddenly stopped and stared at me. I blushed and looked away. I felt his arms around me in an instant. He kissed me and held me there for a moment. He then pulled back and looked into my eyes. "I love you," he said. I closed my eyes. "I love you too," i said quietly. Just then, Hachiro walked up to us and grabbed Gaara's shoulder. Hachiro always had a strong grip(not being weird). He then whispered something in his ear. Gaara's body tensed. He grabbed Hachiro by the wrist and pushed him back. 

I got between them just as Hachiro was about to attack. "Back off now," I said in a cold voice, "Unless you have something important to say, you need to leave." Hachiro glared at Gaara. "I don't know what he sees in you," he said back, "I'm surprised a slut like you could even get another boyfriend." He knew just how to upset me. We'd been friends since we were five. I stepped forward just as Gaara wrapped his arms around me. "He's not worth it," Gaara whispered in my ear. He kissed my neck and looked back at Hachiro. Hachiro stormed off. I was glad to see him leave.

"Now that he's gone," I said, "I can tell you what I needed to tell you." He let go of me and I turned around. "No need," he said smugly, "I already know." I was confused. There was no possible way he could have found out. "I came back last night and overheard you girls talking," he said still smiling. I started to wonder if he heard what I said. He pulled me closer and leaned against a tree. "Of course I had to confirm it was true so I hired a little bit of inside help," he said pleased with his accomplishment. Then the pieces fell into place. "Airi," I groaned, "Is that where she got that baby mama thing from?" He nodded and laughed. He kissed me again and I moaned. 

Gaara picked me up and carried me to my room. When we got there he dropped me on the bed. I laughed. He kissed me as I took off my clothes. I smiled at the thought of us having more alone time. It was only eleven and it would be about six hours before Airi and Temari would get home. I was taken out of my thoughts when Gaara kissed me more forcefully. We thought of nothing but each other for the next five hours. It felt like life was falling into place.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temari's secret is out, Aiko got her proposal, and Gaara is leaving. Again. So much drama for one village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm here, I'm sick, I want to die, and I will be posting almost every day this summer. At least I can get SOME sleep. I'm also thinking of doing a spin off once I finish this. Anyways let's get back to the story.

When Airi and Temari were back, I was anxious to tell her the good news. Airi immediately went to hug Gaara and pulled him up the stairs. Gaara winked at me before disappearing. Temari nervously looked around. "Nothings broken, the walls are intact," she murmured, "Are you ok?" I laughed and hopped on the counter. She gave me a strange look. "He knew on the same night that you told me," I said trying not to laugh, "He heard us talking and had Airi confirm that it was true." She glared up the stairs. She then started laughing. "I can't believe we got played by a nine year old," she said. Just then Airi came running down the stairs. "The smartest nine year old at my school," she said smugly. She then ran back up the stairs. That just made Temari and I laugh harder.

Temari left an hour after Airi was asleep. She gave Gaara and I a hug and left. I grabbed the book I'd been trying to read for the last few days and opened it to the page I left off. Gaara suddenly stood up after a minute and disappeared into the kitchen. I could hear cabinets opening and closing. "Aiko," he called. I put the book down and walked into the kitchen. Gaara was standing there holding a long sword. "You never told me your parents were cool," he teased. I rolled my eyes. Gaara laughed and continued looking through the cabinets. I went back to reading my book and thought nothing of it. After a few minutes, Gaara walked back into the living room and pulled the book from my hands.

"Gaara," I exclaimed, "You're so annoying." He smiled and looked at the book. "Page 157," he said, "You can come back to it later." He pulled me from the couch and took me outside. He was leading me somewhere. And wherever it was, it was really far. "Would you like to tell me where we're going," I asked. He said nothing and continued walking. We continued walking for about five minutes. He suddenly stopped and turned to face me. "Gaara where are we," I asked. He looked up at the moon and back at me. He looked at me for a long time. "Gaara what's going on," I asked. He didn't respond. "Gaara seriously, what's wrong?" He pulled me closer and held my hands. "I'm leaving again," he said quietly. I didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

"Aiko," he murmured. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. He kissed my forehead and pulled me into a tight hug. "I'll be back soon," he whispered, "I promise." A tear slid down my cheek. He kissed me and pushed my hair back. "Can you do me a favor," he asked quietly. I nodded and looked up at him. He got closer and whispered in my ear, "Can you plan our wedding for me? We can get married after I come back." My breath got caught in my throat. He pulled a ring from his pocket and slipped it on my finger. I smiled and kissed him passionately. I didn't want this moment to end. But it ended when I asked the question. "How long will you be gone?" It took him a moment to answer. "I'm not sure," he whispered. I didn't say anything else. 

We walked home in silence. I knew if I said something the tears would fall. When we got back to the house I forgot all about my book. I silently walked up the stairs and stopped at Airi's door. "I'll be there in a minute," I whispered. I opened her door and entered her room. I noticed her room was a mess and started putting her stuff where it belonged. When I finished I looked at Airi and started crying. I was happy that Airi was okay. I was excited that I was getting married. But most of all, I was sad. My parents were dead. Airi was still sad about their death. And Gaara was leaving. Throughout all the good things that happen, bad things always find their way into my life. Him leaving is somehow the worst.

After I stopped crying, I went back to my room and found Gaara laying on my bed. I curled into his side and didn't say anything. I didn't want him to see me cry. I didn't like anyone seeing me cry. It made me look weak. But even the strong don't succeed. I cried myself to sleep, with him holding me the whole night. It wasn't fair. How people just die at any moment. How people can be taken from you against your will. It wasn't fair. Life isn't fair. I kept telling myself that. And it took me a long time to realize that it wasn't true.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Depression, sickness, and showing affection to people has fucked up my life for about half a year. Congratulations to me.

Gaara left a few days later. Telling Airi about his leaving was hard. She moped around the house for hours and barely spoke throughout dinner. But watching him leave was even harder. It was like watching him rip out my heart and bury it in the dirt. And all he was doing was walking away. I just wish he was walking towards me rather than away from me.

After he was gone Temari, Airi, and I went back home. Airi ran upstairs to play while Temari and I sat in the kitchen. "So how have you been doing," I asked. She let out an annoyed sigh and cradled her head in her hands. "It's been only a week and I've snapped on Shikamaru more than 10 times," she muttered, "I don't know he puts up with me." I giggled at her answer and imagined what it would be like to hear her yelling at Shikamaru.

Her expression then changed. She was staring at me. I started to fidget with my hands. I always felt self concious when people stared at me. "You seem preoccupied," she murmured, "What happened." I looked away with a smile creeping on my face. "OH MY GOD. HE DID DIDN'T HE!" I nodded my head and smiled. She started squealing and stood up out of her chair. My smile grew even wider and I started to blush. "We need to start planning immediately," she said, "I'll go get the girls." And with that she ran out of the house.

I went upstairs to check on Airi and couldn't find her in her room. "Airi?" She wasn't in the bathroom. "Airi where did you go?" I walked into my room and saw her going through my stuff. "Airi what the hell are you doing?" She fumbled to put my stuff back in my drawers. "Nothing. I wasn't doing anything," she replied quickly. Just as I was about to step forward my make-up case fell off the dresser. "If I remember correctly, that was IN my dresser. Not ON it." She quickly turned around and put it back in my dresser. I giggled and took her hand and dragged her downstairs.

We got downstairs and I could hear voices coming from outside. I jumped when I heard a loud knock. I rolled my eyes and went to open the door. When the door was open, I saw Sakura, Ino, and Temari standing there with smiles on their faces. "Which one of you was knocking on the door," I asked. Sakura and Temari pointed to Ino. I looked at the door and glared at her. "You heavy-handed bitch. You put a dent in the door." We all laughed as they pushed past me. 

"So what colors are the flowers gonna be," Ino asked. I didn't hesitate to answer. "Red." Sakura giggled while Temari rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised," Temari murmured. I blushed and turned my attention to the window, where I could see a bird sitting on a tree branch. "What kind of dress," Sakura asked. I just shrugged my shoulders. "What are we gonna do with you," Temari asked. I shrugged my shoulders again. All of the girls started laughing. "You could wear Mommy's dress," Airi mumbled. It got quiet until I finally broke the silence. "That's a great idea Airi," I stated, "It's probably my size."

The girls rushed me upstairs and we lookwd through my parents wardrobe. When we found it they rushed me to try it on. It fit perfectly.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently working on another story that I'm having fun with. Trying to get my life together. Dying on the inside. Normal shit.

Within weeks our marriage was planned. Even more weeks passed and no one heard from Gaara. I had asked Temari and Kankuro. They didn't even know what he was doing. I knew he was up to something. Now I just needed to know what. I wanted to send him a message. To write him a letter or anything at all. But Temari said he won't accept those for some reason. I was determined to see him. I just have to deal with other stuff first. 

After dropping Airi off at school, Temari and I were going back to the house when I decides to ask questions. "Temari, why did Gaara go back to Suna?" She shrugged and looked away before answering. "Gaara doesn't exactly tell people what he's doing," she stated, "If he wants to do something important to him he'll do it. And he won't tell you until after the fact." I tried to understand as best as I could. But I didn't. I decided to stop asking questions for a while. I had alot of things to do and I can't do anything while thinking about him.

A few hours later we were done cleaning around the house and were just laying down on my bed. I kept staring at her while she aimlessly looked out the window. "You can ask me you know. I don't mind." I jumped at the sound of her voice. I had gotten used to the quiet. She giggled and smiled. I fidgeted with my hands while thinking about how to say everything I wanted to say. "Would we, I don't know maybe. Could we go to Suna and visit him?" She thought about it for a few minutes and all I could do was pray. "Maybe," she said, "It'd take a while but yeah. Maybe we could." I smiled at the thought.

After Airi came home I asked Temari why it would take a long time to see Gaara. "I'd have to go to Suna. Find out where Gaara is. Find a way to get to him. Ask him about it. And then come all the way back." I was shocked by the amount of work it would take just to see him. It was alot to me anyway. "How are you able to do all of that work," I asked. She laughed and sat down in a chair. "It's because I'm not lazy like you," she said, "Besides it's not that much. If his guards aren't being assholes than it should take about 4 weeks at the most. No big deal." Just then there was a loud knock on the door. 

I opened the door to see Hinata, Sakura, and Ino carrying bags. They were all talking about something. I caught a few words from there conversation and I don't think it was what you'd call kid friendly. Ino was the first to notice me standing there. "We are back and we have food," Temari shouted. I laughed and stepped aside. They all walked in and continued their conversation. I rolled my eyes and walked back into the kitchen to see them crowded around something. The bags were on the table and I stepped forward to see what they were looking at. It was Airi. And she was just as confused as I was.

"It looks like you're sacrificing my sister." They turned to glare at me. "We don't sacrifice children," Sakura said. I laughed and sat back down. Airi finally spoke up when they started playing with her hair. "Why exactly do you need to touch my hair?" I giggled and she shot me a glare. "Because you're so much bigger than before. You don't look like you're nine," Hinata said. Everyone else agreed. The conversation continued for a while before we moved on to something else.

"So have you heard from Gaara at all?" Temari spoke before I could answer. "I'm gonna see if I can bring her to Suna and see him." Everyone started talking about how sweet it was for me to see him and I just blushed and looked away. Ino had made a dirty joke about what I should do when I see him. And I glared at her until Airi said something. "I know what you're talking about," she muttered we were all shocked by what she said. "What the fuck is that school teaching you," I asked before getting food out of one of the bags.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bored af and wanna sleep. But it's only 1 pm. Lord help my soul.

It had been 3 weeks. Longest 3 weeks of my life. I was at home with Airi. I was watching her play with her toys. There was nothing else to do. I had done everything I needed to do earlier. There was suddenly a knock on the door. I went to answer the door hoping it would be Temari. It was Hachiro at the door. I rolled my eyes and attempted to close the door. He pushed it back and walked past me. He went up the stairs and motioned for me to follow. He was really starting to piss me off.

"Airi I'll be upstairs if you need me," I said trying to calm myself down. "Ok, I'll be fine." I went upstairs to see him standing near my door. He went inside and I followed, closing the door behind me. "What the fuck are you doing here," I asked venom lacing my voice. The person I love leaves and the person I hate arrives. Just my luck. "You know why I'm here," he murmured getting closer. I pushed him back. "And you know that I hate you," I said. I hated being in the same room as him. I turned for the door but a hand pinned me against the door.

"You can't keep running from me," he whispered in my ear, "I was your first for everything. You can't just move past that." The more he spoke, the angrier I got. Without thinking I brought my knee to his stomach and pushed him back. He was on the ground clutching his stomach. "I can and I will. Leave Hachiro." He slowly stood and stared at me. "I'll make you regret that," he said, his voice rising, "I'll make you regret everything." I rolled my eyes and grinned. "My only regret is dating you." He glared at me and left the room. I followed him downstairs and watched him leave. Finally. I went back to the living room and saw that Airi was gone. Not this again.

I went upstairs to find she wasn't there either. I looked all through the house and she wasn't anywhere. I went outside and saw her walking down the road. "Airi what the hell are you doing," I called. She turned and ran to me. "Someone was calling my name," she said. I looked around and saw no one. I started to get the feeling that we were being watched. "Don't go outside without me," I ordered. She nodded and looked back one last time before I started to pull her down the street. I locked the door once we were inside. I don't know who was calling her, but I have a strange feeling it was Itachi. 

It was past ten when someone knocked on the door. Airi was in bed and I was reading. I cautiously opened the door only to be greeted by a smiling Temari. I got excited and pulled her into a hug. "Tell me everything," I exclaimed. I was dying to know what he said and a smile has to mean something good. "So I went down there to see him and his guards were like, he's not here you'll have to come back later. So I came back a few hours later and they said he was there and I had to wait. So a few minutes later he stepped out onto the street and saw me, so we talked about nothing important for real before I explained the situation." She stopped there and didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"So what did he say," I asked. She paused and smiled before she continued. "Well he said it would be a while and he had to get some things in order. And he said we could come next week!" I stopped breathing for a few seconds. It took me a minute to wrap my head around what she told me. I smiled and hugged her hard. "Thank you so much," I squealed, "When are we leaving?" "On Monday." I had to count the days to understand. It was Wednesday. "How long will we be there?" She thought about it before answering. "I think he said Friday," she replied, " He was talking too fast to understand." I nodded and decided to change the conversation.

"How are you feeling, Temari?" She looked away before answering. "I feel like I'm dying," she muttered. I started giggling but stopped when she glared at me. "I need to lie down," she said. I grabbed her by her hand and took her to my room. She got under the blanket immediately. I was just about to leave to take a shower when she called me back. "Aiko?" I turned to her and she was sitting up. "Do you ever want to have kids," she asked trying to stay awake. I shrugged my shoulders. "I've never really thought about it to be honest." She got back under the blanket and layed down. "You should talk to Gaara about it," she added before going to sleep.

I couldn't get what she said out of my mind. Gaara never brought it up. I never thought Gaara wanted children. If I wanted children was a different story. I was good with children but I never thought about having my own. I couldn't help but imagine what our children would look like. I imagined them having Gaara's red hair. My brown eyes. I was taken from my thoughts when the water got cold. I got dressed and went back into my room. As I drifted off to sleep I couldn't shake the idea of having children from my mind. It even stayed with me in my dreams.


	18. Chapter 18

I woke up the next morning with a headache. I sat up and fell back down onto the pillow. The room was spinning and I felt sick. I took a deep breath before trying to get up again. I sat up slowly and stretched. I heard muffled voices at my door and I slowly moved towards it. I gently placed my hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it. I yanked the door open and jumped when a small figure dashed down the hallway. I then noticed Temari leaning against the wall. She flashed me a smile before going down the stairs and disappearing from sight.

I quickly dressed and tied my hair up in it's natural do. I slowly made my way downstairs and saw Temari and Airi sitting down eating food. There was another plate of food and I sat down in front of it. As I was eating I noticed Temari was staring at my hair. "Do you ever do your hair differently," she asked. I put my fork down and glared at her. "Do you ever shut the fuck up?" Airi giggled and Temari put her head down and started laughing. Just then Airi finished eating. "Ok. I'm ready for school," she stated cheerfully. I quickly put the dishes away as Airi grabbed her bag.

Temari and Airi were having a conversation as we walked to the school. I was focused on a rooftop. From where I was it looked like someone was watching us. "Aiko!" My head quickly turned to Temari and she was staring at me with an annoyed look. "Where are you going," she asked. I blushed and looked away. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She rolled her eyes and Airi gave me a hug before entering the school. I looked back up to the rooftop and saw someone there. They were looking at the door Airi had just entered. He then noticed me and quickly left.

"Did you see that guy, Temari," I asked, "He was staring at Airi." She tilted her head and stared at me in confusion. I took that as a no. I felt anxious. I wouldn't be a able to cope if something happened to Airi. I had lost enough already. Temari must've seen how tense I was. She put her hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes. "She'll be fine. We won't let anything happen to her." I just nodded and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and stared straight ahead. I could feel her gaze on me as we walked back to the house. "Come on," she said, "Let's go have some fun."

We tracked down the girls and spent some time out on the town. We went to a shop to look at accessories. We were trying on earrings(I don't think I spelled that right) when Ino said something. "It's great to have the group back together," she said, "We barely saw you after what happened, Aiko." I turned to her and smiled. "I guess I did fall off the face of the earth." Sakura wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "We're here for you if you need anything," she said softly. I smiled and hugged her. "You guys are the best."

Our next stop was at a baby store. We were debating whether or not the baby would be a boy or a girl. "Come on Aiko, we all know It's gonna be a girl," Ino said playfully. I shook my head and smiled. "I have a feeling it's gonna be a boy," I said. Hinata stepped forward and turned to face the others. "I'm with Aiko on this one. I think it's gonna be a boy." I smiled and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "You've got to be the smartest out of all of them." She blushed and I smiled innocently as the others glared at me. "Well if we can't come to a decision," Temari started, "Why don't we buy clothes for a boy and for a girl." We all agreed and started to grab cute outfits for babies.

We then continued to grab some food at a restaurant. "That's not how it works Ino," Sakura stated, "You can't feed the sky." I covered my mouth to keep from laughing. "You don't know that," Ino replied, "The sky gets hungry too." Just then Hinata spoke up. "Ino you're a fucking idiot." We all turned to look at her and I couldn't help but laugh. "Ino just got roasted by the shy girl," I said in between laughs. "Shut up Aiko, you ain't safe." I covered my mouth in shock and the others started to laugh. "Who are you and what did you do to Hinata," I asked, "I've never felt more attacked in my life." She laughed and turned back to the girls.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I woke up early and decided to do this before school started.

We had just left the restaurant and I looked up at the rooftops once more. I thought I'd seen something moving around but it was gone before I could see what it was. I grunted in frustration. We continued walking towards Airi's school since it was almost time to pick her up. I still felt like someone was watching me. I glanced once more at the rooftops and could see someone standing there. Just waiting. It worried me. He ran off again as I turned to his direction. I turned away and realised that the girls were ahead of me. I ran after them and jumped at Sakura's sudden outburst.

"I'm not stupid!" Temari rolled her eyes and laughed. "But even though you knew it was impossible to feed the sky, you still continued the conversation," she stated. Sakura rolled her eyes. I looked at Hinata and she took a few steps back so she wasn't standing with the rest of them. I slowed my pace so I was standing next to Hinata. "People are staring," she whispered. I smiled. "This is really embarrassing," I whispered back, "I don't know if I want to walk with them anymore." She laughed as we continued down the street.

We picked up Airi continued home. We were about to enter the house when we realised the door was slightly open. We all shared a glance before slowly opening the door. There didn't seem to be anything wrong. We spread out to look around the house. "No one on the first floor," Sakura said. "What about upstairs," I asked. Just then there was a loud noise from upstairs. We all looked at each other, fear evident on our faces. We each pulled out a kunai and quietly made our way upstairs. We checked in Airi's room first. There was nothing. We then checked my parents room. Nothing. We made our way to every room except mine. Nothing was wrong. Then, another sound came from my room. No one wanted to go in there.

"Ok. Go check your room Aiko," Airi ordered. "Who's coming with me," I asked. No one volunteered. I glared at them before Ino rolled her eyes and pushed open my door. A kunai was thrown towards us before a man jumped out of the window. We ducked out of the way and the kunai stuck in the wall. I ran to the window to see which way the man went but he was already gone. I silently cursed before looking around the room. My stuff was on the ground, drawers were open, and a few things were broken. "Who was that and what does he want," Hinata questioned. I just shrugged. "Whatever he was looking for I don't think he found it," Sakura added. My eyes widened. I ran to my dresser and pulled it away from the wall. When it was in the middle of the room I pulled the back off. I was relieved to see it was still there.

It was a necklace that my mother gave me. "What is that?" Temari asked. I put it on before answering. "It's a necklace my mother gave me." I clutched the charm that was on it. It was a red moon. My mother gave it to me a few months before my brother died. "What do you think he was looking for," Airi asked. I shrugged once more. "I don't know why he was here or what he wanted. All I know is we can't stay here until all of this gets sorted out. "Get your stuff than. You can stay with me until this is dealt with," Ino said. Airi hurried to her room and Temari followed. Sakura and Hinata ran off to find the boys while Airi and I packed.

**Author's Note:**

> Hola, Hello, Bonjour, blah blah blah, this story is still a work in progress so it might take me a while to add another chapter. But if you are impatient(like me) just let me know and I will see what I can do about uploading early.


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